After NASCAR driver Jeremy Mayfieldtested positive on May 9 for a banned substance, there’s been a swirling undercurrent of rumor and whispers, all of which has been significantly spurred along by Mayfield’s repeated insistence that it was due to over-the-counter medication. Hell, he even sued to get back on the track, even while doctors have issued statements that have essentially said, “there is no way he’s telling the truth.”

ESPN THE MAGAZINE has broken through the gag orders and redactions to find the drug for which Mayfield tested positive, and uh… this ain’t good, Jeremy. This ain’t good at all. According to two independent sources, the substance in question was methamphetamine. Daaamn.

Mayfield’s attorneys contend that the failed test was a false positive test reading, triggered by either a mixture of the two acknowledged drugs ingested or by poorly executed testing procedures. In their lawsuit filed May 29, Mayfield’s legal team pointed to Nashville-based AEGIS Sciences, the corporation contracted by NASCAR to conduct the league’s random drug screenings, which were implemented for the first time this season.

It’s cruelly poetic, but NASCAR had mentioned in their June 5 countersuit against Mayfield that the drug for which he has tested positive had effects that included “excessive aggression or exaggerated self-confidence” as well as numerous other health problems. Why, you might ask, is that noteworthy? Well…

“I don’t need to go to rehab,” Mayfield told a group of reporters at Lowe’s Motor Speedway on May 16, a surprise track visit that violated the terms of his suspension. “Because I don’t have a problem.”

Right. That’s the kind of talk that’ll land you on Dr. Phil before you can say “mustache.”

This entry was posted
on Tuesday, June 9th, 2009 at 6:16 pm and is filed under Drugs, Motor Sports, NASCAR .
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